Design of size-reduced ring hybrid couplers using a common defected ground structure

This paper describes the design of size-reduced ring hybrid couplers (RHC) using a common defected ground structure (CDGS). The proposed RHC consists of double-sided microstrip line and the CDGS patterns which are placed in the common ground plane of the double-sided microstrip line. The effects of DGS as a periodic structure are imposed on both microstrip lines, so the advantages of the existing DGS are doubled. The normal RHC is designed first and folded by the half reference plane with the CDGS realized on the common ground plane. So another trial for size-reduction is performed by folding the RHC and inserting CDGS besides to the conventional DGS. In order to show a design example, a 2GHz RHC is designed and miniaturized using CDGS. The size of the miniaturized RHS is around 50% of the normal one, while the performances are well preserved even after the size-reduction.